Mirror and light beam apparatus for checking wheel alignment characteristics with correction for runout



Feb, 2, 1954 p, CARR 2,667,805

MIRROR AND LIGHT BEAM APPARATUS FOR CHECKING WHEEL ALIGNMENT CHARACTERISTICS WITH CORRECTION FOR RUNA-OUT 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 3D. 19.49

f/VVE/VTOE JAMES PCAEIQ A T TOEA/f y Feb. 2, 1954 J P CARR 2,667,805

MIRROR AND LIGHT APPARATUS FOR CHECKING WHEEL ALIGNMENT CHARACTERISTICS WITH CORRECTION FOR RUN-OUT Filed NOV. 30, 1949 4 SheetsSheet 2 INVENTOR JAMES J. CARE ATTORNEY Feb. 2, 1954 R 2,667,805

MIRROR AND LIGHT BEAM APPARATUS FOR CHECKING WHEEL ALIGNMENT CHARACTERISTICS WITH CORRECTION FOR RUN-OUT 4 Sheets-Sheet 3,

Filed NOV. 30, 1949 .rDO M Z mOP QLKnI-Imw .9 ,2 00m .E .mm km .wm hm n W 1Q 2mwnl JNVNTOR JAMES R CAR/2 'ATTOENEY .PDO 23m 5ml?) Feb- 2, 1954 J. P. CARR MIRROR AND LIGHT BEAM APPARATUS FOR CHECKING WHEEL ALIGNMENT CHARACTERISTICS WITH CORRECTION FOR RUN-OUT 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed NOV. 50, 1949 INVENTOR JAMES F? CAR/E ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 2, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE "MIRROR, AND LIGHT BEAM APPARATUS FOR CHECKINGWHEEL ALIGNMENT CHARAC- TEBISTICSIWIT-H CORRECTION FOR RUN- OUT JameS PQ-Garr, Lansing, Mich., assignor to Food Machinery and. Chemical Corporation, 'San "Jose, Calif., a corporation of Delaware ApplicationNovember 30, 1949, Serial No.,130,188

I 5 Claims. 1

This invention is an improvement on that disclosed in the cc-pending application of-Myrton L. Vandermeer; Serial No.-38-,6l6, filed July -14, 1948,2116. entitled Mirror and Light Beam'Wh'eeI Checking Apparatus and 'Method of Correcting 'for Run-Out in Employing Same,ncpvfU. S.

Patent No. 2,641,957, issued June 16, 19 53. The Vandermeer invention is directed to making corrections for run-out in the operation of a-mirror and light beam wheel alignment char- "acteristic measuring apparatus of the general type disclosed in the co-pending application of Roland E. Wilson, Serial No. 571,717, filed January 5, 19,45, and entitled Mirror and-Light Beam Wheel Alignment Characteristic Measuring De- -vice,'-no'w Patent No. 2,496,324, issued February 7,1950.

It. is an obj ect ofthe" present invention toprovide an apparatus of'the 'Wi1son' type, in '--the operation of which, correction .for run-out 1.

e be. made with' relative precision: and ease.

The manner of accomplishing the foregoing object aswell as further objects and-advantages 'will be mademanifest in the following description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1-- is a diagrammatic perspective'view of a preferred embodiment of the invention incorporated in a wheel alignment-measuringapparatus of the Wilson type.

Fig.2 is a diagrammatic front elevational view of the apparatus shown inFig. l and illustrating the manner inwhich the-optical units thereof are related to an automobile while measuring the alignment characteristics =of-a front'wheelof the 5? latter.

'Figf3 isa diagrammatic plan vi'ew'of' a pair of diri'gible' wheels and illustrates" the apparatus shown 'in Fig. 1 and related thereto 'as when measuring the steering geometry of said'wheels.

Figs. 4' and 5 illustrate respectively initial" and final steps in the operation of said apparatus in "the measurement of caster.

Fig. 6 is a face view of a chart slide for charts employedin' association with the left optical unit of said apparatus.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. .6 in illustrating 'the cor-responding slide associated with the right optical unit of saidapparatus.

Fig; 8 is anenlarge'd view of the wheel'runout chart of the invention after a vertical adjustment-has been made between saidcha'rt. and the center of a wobble circle to bring saidcenter onto the horizontalzero line Ofsaidchart.

Fig. 9 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 8 illustrating i? A the appearance of said wobble-circle relative to said chart when said circle has been shiftedhori zontally to bring the center of said .circle'jinto "coincidence with" the axial center of'isaidchart.

' Fig. IO'is aview-similaito FigFQandiIIuStrates $0 35 the relationship of the indicator image produced by the apparatus on said'run-out chart after rotation of the wheel producing saidcircle has been 'halted with said indicator image resting on the vertical axis of said chart below the center of the latter. I

fig. 11 is' an enlargedfragmentary view of' a portion of a screen of the invention and ofa reference chart of the invention projected'theresaid zero lines of said-camber and said-reference charts into coincidence with sa'iolmag'net.

Referring specifically to the drawings, Figs. 1 and 2 diagrammatically show a mirror and light beam dirigible -wheel alignment characteristic measuring' apparatus Ill, which includes left and right optical units H and II which are" slideable horizontally'towards and away from each other on slides I2 and I2" provided on brackets 13 and I 3' which project laterally from wheel supporting pedestals I l and It, the latter being fastened securely to the floor. v

"The pedestals l4 and [4' are provided with turn-tables l5 and it for supporting the'dirigible front whe'els'ld and it of an automobile 11,

there being a suitable ramp (-not shown) upon which this automobile may be driven to position the front wheels thereof on the turn-tables l5 and !5' as shown in Fig.2.

A jack I8 is provided for lifting the front end of automobile ll when it is desired to suspend Wheels It and It for free rotation.

The optical units Ii and H are reverse duplisates of each other, and identical accessory equipment is associatedwith each so that a description of unit H and its associated equipment will suffice for both of these units. Subsequent references to parts of the unit II and its associated equipment will be made by use of the reference numerals applied to corresponding parts of unit l l and its accessories, with prime attached Unit l includes a base M on which is mounted a chart projector 25 having a lamp 2%, condenser lenses 21, a vertically shiftable chart film slide 28 and a projection lens 29.

Also mounted on base-24 are mirrors 3d and Si and a light beam projector 32 having a lamp 33, condenser lenses} and .a cross-hairmirror tions 64.

Associated with the unit II is a mirror mount 40, the detailed structure of which is fully disclosed in U. S. Letters Patent No. 2,475,502. This mount includes a pair of bars 4| fixed in a bracket 42 on which are formed jaws 43. Slideable on the bars M is a mirror support 44 and a clamp 45 on which is provided a jaw 46. Each of the jaws 43 and 46 has an inner face, these faces lying in a plane which is parallel with the plane of the bars 4|, these jaws having teeth 41 in the form of hardened screws extending inwardly from said faces.

The clamp 45 has a cam 48 which is manually operable when the mirror mount 40 has been positioned as shown in Fig. 1 on the rim 49 of the wheel I6 to sink the teeth 4! into this rim and 1 thereby secure the mount 40 in place on the rim with the inner faces of the jaws 43 and 46 snugly bearing against the peripheral outer flange of the rim 49.

Pivotally mounted on the support 44, on an axis perpendicular with the plane of the bars 4|, is a wheel mirror assembly 50. Fixed on this assembly, with its reflecting surface parallel with said plane, is a lateral wheel mirror 55 while wing V mirrors 56 and 51 are also fixed thereon, the latter being slanted away from the lateral mirror 55 at angles of therewith.

The axis on which the assembly 50 is pivoted on the support 44 is above its center of gravity so that the assembly 50 remains horizontal when the wheel I6 is rotated.

Also associated with the unit I I is a screen 60 which is supported in vertical position and preferably in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the rality of chart miniatures which may be selectively projected in enlarged form as a chart on the screen 6|] by shifting the slide 28 vertically to vary the portion thereof exposed to the rays of light impinging upon said slide in the projector 25. Fig. 6 shows slide 28 with the chart miniatures thereon in upright positions so that these are legible, although it is to be understood that in the projector this slide is inverted from the position in which it is shown in Fig. 6 so that the image projected on the screen 60 from the proj ector 25 may be upright.

The slide 28 thus has provided thereon a miniature camber and toe chart 62 having horizontal camber calibrations B3 and vertical toe calibra- The camber calibrations include a horizontal zero line 65 and the toe calibrations include a vertical zero line 66.

Slide 26 also has a miniature caster chart III which includes horizontal caster calibrations II and vertical steering geometry calibrations 72.

The caster calibrations II are positive and negative in character, extending upwardly and downwardly from a horizontal zero line 13. The steering geometry calibrations 12 are adapted for measuring in degrees the angle of turn of one wheel when the other wheel is turned 20 from straight ahead and these calibrations include a 20 reference line 74 which is in alignment with the zero line 66 of the chart 62.

The slide 28 also carries a miniature wheel run-out chart 15 having vertical and horizontal reference lines I6 and H which intersect. Location of the wheel run-out chart miniature on the slide 28 is optional, but it is preferably placed between the camber chart 62 and caster chart III with the vertical reference line 16 in alignment with the vertical lines 66 and 14 of the camber and caster charts.

The reference lines of the wheel run-out chart are provided with relatively fine uniform calibrations which are numbered consecutively outwardly beginning with the intersection of the lines 16 and I1 as zero.

The slide 28 also has a reference chart which is preferably placed alongside the camber chart 62 and includes a vertical reference line BI and a horizontal reference line 82, the latter being preferably aligned with the horizontal zero line of the camber and toe chart 62. The reference line BI of the reference chart 80 is provided With calibrations exactly like those on the chart I5 and which are numbered consecutively away from the zero line 82.

Operation Figs. 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 illustrate projections of one or the'other of the miniature charts appearing on the slides 28 and 28' onto the screens 60 and 60'. Some of these projected charts are shown diagrammatically (Figs. 1, 3, 4, and 5) but even where the projections of these charts are shown in true proportion, there is a difference in identity between the projected charts and the chart miniatures of which the projected charts are merely Optical enlargements. To distinguish betweenthe chart miniatures and the projected charts, therefore, reference to the latter will be made by use of the same numerals as applied to the chartminiatures, but with these numerals prefacedby the letter C, thus: C-IIJ.

Run-out consists in any condition which causes the reflecting face of a middle wheel mirror to be out of perpendicularity with the axis of rotation of the wheel on which it is mounted. This is most commonly caused by the wheel being bent out of true perpendicularity with its axis. It might also be caused by improper application of the mirror mount onto the wheel.

To secure accurate results with the apparatus I I) when any run-out exists, it is necessary to make a correction for this run-out before starting to measure alignment characteristics with the apparatus. The present invention provides a device for accomplishing this rapidly andeasily in the following manner.

Having applied the mirror mounts 40 and 40 to the wheels I6 and i6 respectively with the automobile I1 positioned as shown in Fig. 2, the optical units I I and I I are energized and shifted to the proper spaced relation with the wheel mirrors 55 and 55' and with the wheels turned straight ahead.

With the units II and II thus energized, the projectors 25 and 25 project charts on the screens 60 and 60' in accordance with the positions of the slides 28 and 28' in these projectors. At the same time the projectors 32 and 32' project light beams 83 and 83' against mirrors 30 and 30' from which they are reflected onto wheel mirrors 55 and 55' from which they are reflected back onto mirrors 3i and 3|, and thence onto screens 60 and 60 to form cross-hair indicator images 84 and 84'.

Correction for run-out is made in the same manner for each of the wheels I8 and I6, so

"thet -aedescripficn otghew Ion-the. left-wheel w-wilhsumeei tor-:beth.

erenc'e' line 0- 6, @as' 'thaving-a length this correction issmade The front left corner of the automobile l'TjYS "new v by the jack I hto-z; treethe whee! I 6 for manua -rotation. xThel slide 28 is -actuated in the; projector-151te-rpmiect chart: G- 'li-v onto the screen :GO- as-showm in;Eigrea;anda theiwheel i is i-mamual-lya rotated. *Assuming that there: is

a substantial degree-cement imthisswheeli requiring compensation therefor thee-apparatus lathe indicator image 184 rprojected tithe 'screenwGO -hycthe Meier/tonal will inseribela wobhie-circle 85. v

--When first projected, '1 this probably :be

reference lines 048 0-11. :By I verticaleaeiust'ment ofxthe slide rim-within: theeproj vector 25 while the wheel 1,1 6; continues to= rctateatherchart C45 :is raised-eor. ;lowered to reenter: theflwobble circlet 85 en :the "horizon ta! 7 reference dine v 16 41 of: thiachart. V Thisshaving beenaccomplished,wasv shown 1 an Fig. -=8, eud with the wheel still rotating, the .latterriszturned by us'euof the. steering-wearto bring, the center -=;=0i -the ,\=wobble r circle -85 into coincidence-with the timer-sectionof; the --vertical referenceiline G-J act the chart E4 5 (F-ig'..1 9)

The; rotatierr cf the wheel 62 is r ROMP-519F186 :dewn: manuallyand the wwheelzhalted. with" the indicator imageqflllocatedz on thewertical nrei- :s

"with the" wheel lilthuspositiened; itfzis lewered positioned for measuring camber z-ei wheel I when there is: no tuna-out. in this wheel.

In the present -instance,rlwwever, it. has been ascertained thatvthereeis enough. run cutsln the left wheel? Hatoproduee-a wobbleeircle lit-with a radius -.of three, hand the wheel til has been haltedaanm lowered with the. indicator: imageat the lower en'cl of a :vertical adial-meter.-- of gsaid wobble circle. As: the zcomperisationi sought will.

. beeflected V by r bringing- .the s-chart-C42 the same relation with the indicatoriimage u asai t "would have if theretwere no runzvcutg desired "to, point out that in: the} lattencaserthebindicator image A would ran exactly vat lthe center 6f tthe wobble @circle 85 g hich :is tproduced. byrrun out when present. With the Whee1 I6 haltedabove -'.described, this .desired relationship '1 between chart -C 62 rand the iiidicatdr -.1;imfage.,,8fl

will" be accomplished by" lowering. the chartefi-kfi'i from itsl'norm'ally ccr'r'ect position with reference totheiridicator' image ya distance'equal ,t'o the-radiusor" the wobble cirhfIetS.

The reference chart cmoshown-m-"Figs.'11

and: l2aisjprovidedtto facilitate this adjustment of the camber chart. The adjustment is accomplished JbyHfirst moving the. slide v.28 downwardly' agair'ist"it'sf'lir'ni't stop which results .in camber chaiflc ll and its companion reference chartEG-BO being projected qonto the screensio at the; correct level for nieasuringvcamber ofi-ith agra'nimati'cally illustrated *in' Fig.

.three:;;units..

"The slide? is newimoveaeupwardly-awah from 1 itslimitstop to: lcwerlthe 'eharts G-fl and C40 until the-zero: :line: (3-822 of -the ehart 0-00 coincideswwithz the; positionvof the magnet 6| The :camberrchartC-slil: nowproperly. related to the indieatorwimageitmr the measurement of. cam- ;ben of theewheel. l6, thisvmeasurementbeing? indieatec1 by the-location on the: camber chart of said indieatorimage (Fig. $2) with. reference to the horizontal calibrations-afiathereof. :Aftervcorrectiom forv run-reut'on the wheel. Hi

has al'so been madeather camber cit-this wheel :will-thembe indicatedmby the position of the; indicator image 84' on the chart 0-62. It. isato be noted; that withtthel-correcticn- .ior. rumoutv thus effectedkremboth -wheels. I Stand. I-G' the. indicator :the vert'iealrtcalibrations; on the. ch arts"C,62--$2 and-p4 0-.10 respectively, which. are employed "for? the measurement oflother. alignment characteris't'icsi. by thezapparatusi [0. .Thus no further cor rebti'on ;.tha1r;that already made. for rum-out "isineces'sary in ,'order to use this apparatus for the measurem'entof toe in', toeeout, oricaster'.

I In the rmeasurementrof caster, no compensation'fo'r run-out is necessary; is accomplishedther'efo're', with apparatus [0, vexaotly ais disclosed in the aforesaid. Wilson apiilication. Briefiy,'-'this operationgshown' in Figs. {and 5,

when measuring" the'caster of 'wheelllfiiis as follows: The 'wheel; 'f 6 is "first" turned inwardly from" straight, ahead to reflect the beam 83? from v the rear-winginirror' 5T; and to brin'g'the indicat'o'f'image 8'4 ontdthe: reference liner C-Il' oi the caster chartC-Tfl'. Next'theslide 28' is shifted vertically to bring horizbn'tal zero line C-T3 into coincidencefwith said indicator ima'ge. Then thewh'eel ISis turned outwardly" to cause the beam"83 to impinge-nn'front wing mirror 56 and thei irfdicator image-'84 to again'fall on" line 0-142 TThe'zamount'of caster of wheel I6 is nov'i measured by the distance the said image is spaced iaway' from the zerofline jC-"I3. Thus vertical deflection 'ofthe'indicator' image 384 caused byrr'un out is .thesame inbdth of the readings" takenin determining caster of: a 'given wheel so as "to make no practical qdifierence in the f accuracy of the measurement of this characteristic; "Run out" may thus be disre- :gardeam measuring caster. 5

""Theme'asti'remento'fi camber and toe-in is d1"- measurements for camber "for the "wheels- 1 6 and" i 6 respectivelyibeing jindicatedby' the';1d"1' mansion 1in'es"'II on": the j-fchart" C 62 "when" the Indicator image 84' is "placed on the vertical reference-line clifi'icfthechartC-BZ'.

The manner; ofym'easuring steering j geometry or toe'e'out is diagrammatically illustrated "in EigfB. 'JTh'is is accomplished" by" turning'one of the wheels, as for-instance the right whe'el' i6",

: iawarelyec or until-the light beam" 83" is dehected'tmm the rear wing mirror 5'! tot cause the indicator image M to vfall r onthe "vertical referencefl'ine"02W tof the right caster'chart one "'Tliisc'will' cause: the left".v'vheell l 6" to be turned eutwai'dly' a greater angle tharithe'itwheel It" is"v turned inwardlyf'theturning angle" of the wheel [61' now being meaSuredTbyLthe location of the indioatcrijimagef M"- on the caster. chart C 10. In; eesexample illustrated. thisangleiis 1 seen tc 1, the r .1, 1 Corrections in caster of the wheels [6 and 16" indicated as necessary by the measurement of the values as just described sometimes necessitates the application of tools to the axle'a'nd the twisting of an end portion of an axle rela-v tive to the middle portion of the latter. I

When such corrections are made, they sometimes disturb the camber and toe, making advisable a recheck of the latter characteristics. Such a recheck may be effected without again jacking up the wheels l6 and I6 by virtue of the fact that the magnets SI and 6 l are still located in the positions in which the zero lines 0-82 and 0-82 of the reference charts C-80 and C-Bil' must be located in order for the camber charts to give correct readings for camber of the wheels '16 and I6. r i To make a recheck of camber and toe-in, it is thus only necessary to return the slides 28 and 28' to their positions in the projectors 25'and 25 where the zero lines C-65 and 0-65 of the "camber charts coincide with the positions marked by the magnets GI and SI. With the wheels i6 and I 5 turned straight ahead, correct readings for camber thereof appear immediately upon the charts C-62 and 0-62 and with the indicator image 84' on vertical zero line C-GB', the distance TI on chart C-iSZ again offers a measurement of the angle of toe-in.

The claims are: Y ,v I 1., An apparatus for measuring camber and toe alignment characteristics of dirigible wheels .of a vehiclewhich comprises wheel mirrors/one of which is fastened on each of said wheels, each of said mirrors being held by its mounting'with its plane in a fixed relation with the rotational axis of said wheel and with said mirror facing laterally from said wheel; a screen fcr each of said wheels; means providing a camberand toe chart on each 'of said screens, each suchchart having horizontal and vertical sets of calibrations for respectively measuring camber of the wheel with which said chart is associated, and toe of said pair of wheels; means optionally operable to render either of said wheels rotatable about its axis and operable at will to hold either of said wheels against such rotation in any selected' positicn towhich said wheel has been thus rotated; projector means for projectingwa beam of lightagainst. each of said mirrors so that with said wheels turned substantially straight ahead, said beams, after reflectionffrom said wheel mirrors, fall on said screensf means for providing a run-out chart oneach of said screens in a fixed relation with the camber and toe chart line which is spaced from and parallel to one of the sets of calibrations on said camber and toe chart, and having calibrations of the same order as the aforesaid calibrations on said wheel runout chart,.said reference chart calibrations beginning at ,a zero line crossingthe reference line-of said reference chart; and a marker, applied when in use, to one of said screen's opposite one of the calibrations of said reference chart thereof to indicate on said reference chart the radius of a "run-out wobble circle determined by superimposing said circle on said run-out chart.

2. A combination as in claim 1 in which said screens are formed of magnetized material and in which said marker comprises a magnet.

3. A combination as in claim 2 in which the camber calibrations of said camber chart and the calibrations of said reference chart have a vcommon zero line.

also including a chart projector for projectingan alignment characteristic measuring chart onto said screen in said field, said chart having calibrations for measuring said characteristic by the location of said indicator image in said field with said wheel turned to 'a given position about its king-pin; means operable at will to render said wheel rotatable about its axis and optionally operable to hold said wheel against rotation in any selected position to which saidwheel has been thus rotated; means associated'with said chart projector for projecting a separate runout chart on said screen in a fixed relation with the alignment characteristicmeasuring chartthereon, said runjout chart having calibrated intersect ing "Vertical and horizontal referenc'lines, the "calibrations on said reference lines reading outwardly from azero center point thereof at the intersection of said reference lines, and being spaced apart at such close intervals as to readily measure theradius of 'a' wobble circle centered at said intersectiom'a shiftable marker having 'means causing it to removably adhere to said screen for marking by its position on said screen the distance it is'necessary to move'said measuring chart to' correct said reading thereon for run out; andinanually ccntrolled means embodied in said chart projector for simultaneouslyshifting said charts to effect said correction.

" s. A combination as'ih claim 4 in wmen' aie chart shifting means embodies a stop which indicates when said measuring chart is in its normal measuring position; and means embodied in said projector for also projecting on said screen in a fixed parallel relation with said measuring chart, a reference chart which is calibrated along itslength and is adapted for use with said marker to indicate a corrected position to which it is necessary to shift said measuring chart to make correction for, runout. i i

h JAMES; P. CARRY;

I References Cited in the file or this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,491,962 Moody Apr. 29,1924 H 2,346,582 Insler et al Apr. 11, 1944 2,410,339 Creagmile o'er. '29', 1946 .;2,470,090 Carri a-n et a1 May 17,1949 Wilson Feb; '7, 1950 

